Benfica’s complaint pays off, Porto fined thousands by the CD | OneFootball

The Disciplinary Board (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation has fined Porto 3,060 euros following the incidents recorded in the match against Benfica, corresponding to the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals, played on January 14. The decision was taken unanimously and is related to failures in the organization and access control of Benfica supporters to the stadium.

The case arose after a complaint submitted by Benfica SAD, which reported alleged "discriminatory" and "humanly degrading" treatment of its supporters. At issue was the significant delay in the entry of hundreds of Benfica fans, many of whom ended up missing the entire first half of the match.

Among the situations highlighted was the requirement for several supporters, including children and elderly people, to remove their shoes during security checks carried out outside the stadium, in an area where the ground was wet or damp due to the weather conditions.

In its defense submitted to the CD, Porto blamed the delay in the arrival of the visiting supporters and incidents of disorder near the entrances. The Dragons also justified the shoe checks with recommendations from the authorities, taking into account previous incidents related to the bringing in and throwing of pyrotechnic material.

However, the Disciplinary Board concluded that, although the measure may be admissible from a security standpoint, Porto did not ensure "minimum comfort conditions" for the spectators. The ruling also points to failures in access management, with control points available but unused while hundreds of supporters remained held up for long periods.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.